Sports clubs in massive £96,000 council cash handout

A massive £96,000 has been handed out to sports clubs in Mid Sussex by the district council.

The highest cash sum - a total of £61,716 - has been awarded to Hurspierpoint Bowls Club towards the building of a pavilion extension at their ground in South Avenue.

The club plans to improve changing facilities, create a new bar area and provide an area for short mat indoor bowls.

Club secretary Tony Lank said the club was ‘very pleased and grateful’ for the council grant which would ‘make a very significant contribution’ towards the cost of the extension.

He said a planning application had been submitted for the work and they hoped to start building in the autumn.

Meanwhile, another grant - of £12,600 - has been made to Scaynes Hill Cricket Club towards new cricket nets which feature an InterPad resin to protect the surface and reduce the need for routine maintenance.

In addition, Warden Park Academy has received £10,000 to help provide a joint 3G artificial grass pitch for community sport.

HeadteacherJonathan Morris said: “We have a very strong sporting reputation as an academy and welcome this new development. We look forward to the benefits it will bring, not only to our students but to our neighbours and friends in the vicinity.”

Burgess Hill Rugby Football Club has been awarded £2,700 towards safety improvements at their Southway Recreation Ground on Povey’s Close. The club is proposing to install a perimeter fence around the pitch to protect both spectators and players from accidents.

They will also be adding permeable plastic matting to create a non-slip surface.

Councillor Pru Moore, cabinet member for leisure, said: “We are lucky to have a thriving sporting community in Mid Sussex and we’re keen to do our part to support local clubs.

“Local sports and community organisations provide lots of people with a great deal of enjoyment and do so much good work but they are reliant on donations and the dedication of volunteers in order to survive.

“Our grants programme gives them the opportunity to secure funding for their community projects and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to help so many different groups this year.”

Other grants include: £2,700 to Burgess Hill Rugby Football Club for a perimeter barrier and rubber matting; £1,194 tp Haywards Heath Cricket Club for a mobile cricket net; and £1,000 to Tadpoles Swimming Club for the Disabled for pool hire costs.